Lion Fight 10 took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas tonight and it was an action packed night of fights. In the night’s main event Yodsanklai Fairtex out struck Chike Lindsay to capture the Lion Fight Middleweight World Title.

Lindsay looked solid in the first round while working behind his jab. In the second round, however, Yodsanklai turned up the pressure and took over. He beat Lindsay up with a well rounded attack. Heavy kicks to the body and legs combined with solid elbows scored for Yodsanklai. He opened up three cuts on Lindsay, two by his left eye and one on his nose. By the time the final round came around it was clear that Lindsay needed a knockout to win, but despite his efforts he came up short. It was a one sided unanimous decision victory for Yodsanklai.

In the night’s co-main event Canada’s Matt Embree proved he was the best super lightweight in North America with a unanimous decision win over American Kevin Ross. Embree used a pin point counter attack to score points throughout the fight. Embree looked a little more aggressive than usual at times and it paid off. He landed a few clean sweeps on Ross, and connected with several leg kicks. When the fight went to the clinch he immediately began to work knees to the body and legs of Ross. In the final round it seemed Embree slowed down quite a bit due to fatigue and Ross was able to capitalize and take the final round but it was too little too late.

Tiffany Van Soest had no trouble defeating Lucy Payne to capture the Lion Fight Women’s World Featherweight Title. In the first round Van Soest was clearly the more agile fighter as she looked limber on her feet while Payne looked flat footed. Despite giving up a nice height advantage Van Soest got inside and landed a punch that hurt Payne. Van Soest pounced and cornered Payne while Punches and elbows came fast and furiously from Van Soest. Payne curled up and dropped to a knee forcing the referee to step in and halt the bout giving Van Soest the dominant win.

Sean Kearney was looking to avenge his loss to Malaipet Sasiprapa earlier this year, but fell short. Malaipet looked strong in the first round and in the second knocked Kearney down with an elbow from the clinch. Kearney tried to battle back in the final three rounds but came up short on the judges cards. Two judges gave the fight to Malaipet while one scored it a draw giving Malaipet the majority decision.

Ognjen Topic defeated Coke Chunhawat by split decision in a fight that should serve as a perfect example of why fighting the traditional Thai style does not work in the United States. The first three rounds of the fight were close. As expected Coke started slow and in the fourth and fifth rounds picked up the pace and out classed Topic clearly outlanding him with strikes and controlling the ring, but allowing the first three round to be so close cost him. Two judges scored the bout for Topic and one for Coke. If Coke would have fought with the same aggression in the first three rounds that he fought with in the final two rounds the fight would have most likely gone in his favor.

In the night’s opening bout Jason Andrada improved to 3-0 with a solid performance against J.P. Cole. Andrada picked Cole apart throughout the fight constantly moving forward and keeping busy with punches and kicks. He knocked Cole down midway through the bout with a body kick but in the end Andrada had to settle for a unanimous decision victory.

Results:
Yodsanklai Fairtex def. Chike Lindsay via Unanimous Decision
Matt Embree def. Kevin Ross via Unanimous Decision
Tiffany Van Soest def. Lucy Payne via (T)KO at 2:30 of Rd.1
Malaipet Sasiprapa def. Sean Kearney via Majority Decision
Ognjen Topic def. Coke Chunhawat via Split Decision
Jason Andrada def. J. P. Cole via Unanimous Decision

Lion Fight 10 goes down tonight in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino featuring the main event between Yodsanklai Fairtex and Chike Lindsay. The event will air live on AXS TV but if you can’t be there live or don’t have access TV we have you covered as we will be providing live results and a play by play for Lion Fight 10. 

Also on the card Kevin Ross and Matt Embree will go head to head in a battle to see who the best 140lb fighter in North America is. Tiffany Van Soest and Lucy Payne will also fight for the Lion Fight women’s featherweight world title.

J.P. Cole vs. Jason Andrada

Round 1
Body Kick by Cole. Cross by Andrada. Jab by Andrada lands. Both exchanging leg kicks. Head kick by Cole. Jab by COle lands flush. Both guys pressing forward and meeting in the middle. Leg kicks by Andrada. Body kick by Cole. Cole gets a warning for a 12-6 elbow. Jab lands for Andrada followed by a right. Andrada going to the body and then catches a kick from Cole and sweeps him. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 for Andrada.

Round 2
Leg kick by Andrada to start. Leg kick by Cole. Clinch and Cole goes to work with knees right away. Right hand by Cole lands flush. Andrada staying busy throwing punches and kicks. Body kick by Cole and then Andrada sweeps him. Andrada looks more fluid with his strikes, while Cole is throwing one shot at a time. Andrada going to the body with punches. Another sweep by Andrada after catching a Cole kick. Leg kick by Andrada and then they exchange body kicks. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Andrada.

Round 3
Body kick by Cole. Right hand by Andrada lands. Short elbow by Cole. Body shot by Andrada lands and then he catches a Cole kick and sweeps him again. Body kick by Cole. Both fighters exchange elbows. Body Kick by Cole. Cole looks to be slowing down while Andrada looks to have some pep in his step still. Cole unleashes a flurry on Andrada but Andrada absorbs the punishment and goes back to work. Cole might have exhausted his tank in that attack. Body shot by Andrada. Body kick by Andrada forces Cole to take a knee and the round is over. 10-8 round for Andrada.

Round 4
Cole needs to step it up because Andrada is easily up on the judges score cards. Leg kicks by Andrada. Body shot from Cole. Body shot by Andrada. Cole swinging for the fences but doesn’t connect. Cole looking up at the clock. Jab by Andrada. Left hand from Cole lands solid. Cole seems tired. Right hand by Andrada lands as Cole is moving in. Head kick from Cole grazes Andrada. They exchanges some strikes as the round ends and it is clear that Andrada is the fresher fighter. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Andrada.


Round 5
Right hand by Cole. Both rights land rights. Cole letting his hands go. Jab by Andrada. Cole needs to do something now if he expects to win this fight. He needs a KO. Two punch combo to the body by Cole. Cole with a with two good right hands. Andrada still active though. Elbow from Cole. Cole slowing down. Andrada just picking away at Cole. Left hook from Cole. This fight is over and it should go to Andrada.


Result: Jason Andrada def. J.P. Cole via Unanimous Decision

Ognjen Topic vs. Coke Chunhawat

Round 1 
Push kick by Topic to start. Another push kick from Topic. Sweep by Coke after catching a Topic kick. Right hand by Topic gets in. Teep to the leg by Topic. Body kick by Coke and then they clinch but are broken up. Side kick by Topic. Right hand by Topic. Leg kick by Topic. Very close first round. Muay Thai Authority scores it 10-10.

Round 2
Jab by Topic. Push kick by Topic. Coke moving forward looking to get a little more aggressive. Throw some punches that are blocked and then lands  body kick. Inside leg kick by Coke. Right hand by Topic. Clinch band knees from both before it is broken up. Leg kick by Topic. Body kick by Coke. Clinch and they both exchange knees. Body kick by Coke. Leg kick by Topic. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 for Coke.

Round 3
Left hand by Topic. Clinch and a knee from Coke. More knees from Coke in the clinch and then Topic lands a knee. They break and left hook from Topic. Leg kick from Topic. Clinch and both fighter jockeying for position. Jab by Topic. Body kick by Topic then a push kick. Clinch and Topic tosses Coke to the mat. They clinch and exchange knees. Jab by Topic. Knee by Coke. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Topic.

Round 4
Sweep by Topic off a caught kick. Head kick by Topic lands. Coke with a flurry of punches followed by a kick. Another flurry followed by a kick from Coke. Sweep by Coke and he kicks Topic in the face as he is falling. Elbow by Coke. Coke is getting aggressive now. Body kick by Coke then he catches a kick and pushes Topic down. They clinch and exchange knees. Coke is really taking control of the round. Topic clinches and throws knees. Knees from Coke in the clinch. Teep by Coke they clinch and exchange knees. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 for Coke.

Round 5
Body kicks are exchanged. Coke pressing forward. Teep from Coke. Double jab by Coke. Leg kick by Coke. Jab by Coke. Coke looks excellent in these last two rounds. Clinch and short knees from Topic and then knees from Coke. Jab by Coke. Topic with a leg kick. Body kick by Topic as bell rings. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Coke. Should be interesting to see how this is scored. Coke clearly won the last two rounds but the first three rounds could go either way.


Result: Ognjen Topic def. Coke Chunhawat via Split Decision


Sean Kearney vs. Malaipet Sasiprapa

Round 1
Jab by Kearney. Body kick by Malaipet. Leg kick by Malaipet. Jab by Kearney. Body Kick by Kearney leg kick by Malaipet. Leg kick by Kearney. Body kick by Malaipet. Left hook from Malaipet. Jab from Kearney. Body kick from Malaipet. Jab by Kearney. Body kick by Malaipet and left by Kearney. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Malaipet. 

Round 2
Clinch and an elbow from Malaipet knocks Kearney down. He beats the ten count and they clinch. Leg kick Malaipet. Elbow from Kearney as they clinch. Malaipet is cut and bleeding from his cheek. Left from Kearney and then he misses with an elbow. Clinch and Kearney walls up. Body kick by Malaipet and left cross from Kearney. Clinch and knees from Kearney. Kearney really pressing the action now. Body kick from Malaipet. 10-8 round for Malaipet. If it wasn’t for the knockdown that round would have gone to Kearney.

Round 3
Head kick by Kearney grazes Malaipet. Leg kick by Malaipet. Clinch but no action. Jab from Malaipet. Elbow from Kearney. Another elbow from Kearney and a push kick. Push kick by Kearney. Knee to the body by Kearney. Elbow from Kearney. Both fighters land a punch. Body kick by Malaipet and they clinch and knees from Kearney as Malaipet walls up. Sweep from Malaipet after catching a kick. Nice elbow from Kearney. Kearney is really taking control of the ring this round. Body kick by Kearney as Malaipet tries a spinning kick. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Kearney.

Round 4
Body kick by Malaipet and then a left cross from Kearney. Body kick by Malaipet. Clinch and knees from Malaipet. Jab  by Malaipet. Elbow from Kearney in the clinch and then knees from him. Push kick by Kearney. Clinch and knees from Kearney. Malaipet seems tired. Jab and Cross from Kearney land. Knees from Kearney. Body punch from malaipet. Knee from Kearney in the clinch. Body kick by Malaipet. Both fighters exchange body kicks. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Kearney.

Round 5
Inside leg kick by Kearney. Right hand by Malaipet. Another right hand by Malaipet. Body kick by Malaipet. Elbow from Kearney and they clinch. Left hand from Kearney grazes Malaipet. Kearney catches a kick and misses a spinning elbow. Clinch and knees from Kearney as Malaipet walls up. Left cross from Kearney they clinch and knees from Kearney. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Kearney. Round 1,4,5 were close and could go either way.

Result: Malaipet Sasiprapa def. Sean Kearney via Majority Decision

Lucy Payne vs. Tiffany Van Soest

Round 1
Left hook from Van Soest. Body kick from Payne. Push kick by Payne. Push kick by Van Soest. Right hand from Payne. Left hook from Van Soest and then a right hand. Van Soest definitely has the movement and speed edge. Flurry from Van Soest and Payne is hurt and she covers up in the corner as Van Soest unloads and the ref stops the fight. Odd that it wasn’t a ten count, but Van Soest wins.

Result: Tiffany Van Soest def. Lucy Payne via (T)KO at 2:30 of Rd. 1

Matt Embree vs. Kevin Ross 

Round 1
Leg kick by Ross to start. Leg kick by Embree. Jab by Ross leg kick by Embree. Another leg kick by Embree. Leg kick by Embree and leg kick by Ross. Push kick by Ross. Left cross by Embree. Leg kick by Embree. Punch by Embree is blocked by Ross. Leg kick by Embree. Right hand by Embree and a leg kick by Embree. Leg kick by Ross. Knee to the body by Embree. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Embree.

Round 2
Leg kick by Embree. Body kick by Ross. Leg kick by Ross and Embree answers with punches. Clinch and nothing happens. Jab by Ross. Right hand by Embree and then a sweep by Embree as he catches a kick. Body shot by Ross. Left jab by Embree. Leg kick by Ross. Leg kick by Embree followed by a body kick. Another sweep by Embree off of a caught kick. Leg kick by Embree. Leg kick by Ross. Right hand by Embree and a knee. Body kick by Ross they clinch and some knees from Embree. Knee to the body by Ross. Right and left by Embree land. Muay Thai Authority scores the round 10-9 Embree.

Round 3
Embree starts with punches. Ross getting aggressive to start this round and they clinch and exchange knees then Embree tosses Ross tot he mat. Knee to the body by Ross. Elbow by Embree. Right hand by Embree as Ross throws a leg kick. Jab by Ross. Leg kick from each fighter. Right hand by Ross. Right hand from Embree. Left hand from Embree then a right hand an elbow. Leg kick by Ross. Right hand by Ross and elbow by Embree as they clinch. Embree catches a kick and delivers a short elbow. Ross lands a sweep as the round ends. Close round but Embree seems to be landing the more diverse strikes. 10-9 Embree.

Round 4
Kicks from both fighters to start the round. Leg kick from Embree. Punch by Ross. Leg kick by Embree and leg kick from Ross. Elbow from Embree. Clinch and not much happening. Sweep by Ross off of a caught kick. Knee from Embree and they clinch. Knee from Embree in the clinch. Leg kick from both then a right hand from Ross. Clinch and knees from Embree. Jabs from both fighters. Jab by Embree. Leg kick from each fighter. Clinch and knees from Embree. Both fighters swinging but not much landing and Ross lands a clinch right. Close round but 10-9 Ross.

Round 5
Leg kicks by both fighters. Knee by Ross and leg kick by Embree. Ross with a body shot. Leg kicks from both. Push kick from Embree. Dump by Embree. Leg kick by Ross leg kick by Embree. Clinch and knee from Embree. Knee from Ross in the clinch. Leg kick from Embree. Body kick by Ross. Knee by Ross. Right hand by Ross and he is picking up the pace. Clinch and knees from both. Jab by Ross. Clinch and knee from Ross and leg kick from Ross. Elbow from Embree. 10-9 Ross. Embree seemed to gas in the last round.

Result: Matt Embree def. Kevin Ross via Unanimous Decision

Chike Lindsay vs. Yodsanklai Fairtex

Round 1
Jab by Lindsay. Leg kick by Yodsanklai. Right hand by Lindsay. Jab by Lindsay. Another strong jab by Lindsay. Jab again by Lindsay. Kick by Yodsanklai blocked. Jab by Lindsay followed by  a right. Strong left by Lindsay. Chike using his jab weel. Lindsay pumps that jab again. Leg kick by Yodsanklai. Right cross by Lindsay barely clips Yodsanklai. Push kick by Yodsanklai. Elbow from Yodsanklai in the clinch. 10-9 round for Lindsay.

Round 2 
Yodsanklai starts with a kick. Jab by Lindsay and body kick by Yodsanklai. Jab and cross by Lindsay. Solid straight from Yodsanklai. Yod getting aggressive now. Jab by Lindsay. Body kick by Yodsanklai. Knee tot he body by Yodsanklai. Right hand by Lindsay. Body kick by Yodsanklai. Small cut over the left eye of Yodsanklai. Yod taking control of the fight now. Knees tot he body from the clinch. Short elbow by Yodsanklai. Jab by Lindsay. Knees exchanged in teh clinch. Knee tot he body up the middle by Yodsanklai. 10-9 round for Yodsanklai.


Round 3
Jab by Lindsay to start round. Jab and elbow from Yodsanklai. Clinch and knees from Yod. Yodsanklai is winning the battle in the clinch with better positioning and attacks. Chike is cut on his left eye. Elbow by Yod. Yodsanklai taking over this fight. Chike is slowing down now. Elbow by Yod. Chike is no longer throwing his jab he seems flustered a bit. Lindsays eye looks bad now. This might be stopped after this round is over. Yodsanklai going to town with punches kicks and elbows. 10-9 Yodsanklai. 


Round 4
Kick by Yodsanklai. Right hand by Chike gets in and then two jabs. Body kick by Yodsanklai. Yod is dominating in the clinch. Jab by Chike. Body kick by LIndsay. Body shot from Yod. Head kick by LIndsay. In the clinch and Yod with some knees. Chike looks tired. Knee tot he body by Lindsay. Lindsay is a bloody mess. Yod pressing forward and landing punches. Big punches from Yod. Uppercut from Lindsay. Right hand and Lindsay is bleeding like crazy now. Chike is showing heart just by continuing to fight. 10-9 round Yodsanklai.


Round 5
Big body kick by Yod. Another one from Yod. Jab by Lindsay and then a right. Big right by Chike lands. Chike with some punches and then a solid right hand lands. Left hook from Chike. Body shot by Yod and right from Chike. Knee to the body by Yod. Chike fighting back with punches now. Leg kick by Chike. Knee to the body by Yod. Body kick by Yod and right hand by Chike. Fight over and 10-9 round for Yodsanklai and the fight should be going his way.


Result: Yodsanklai Fairtex def. Chike Lindsay via Unanimous Decision

Malaipet Sasiprapa was set to fight Hakeem Dawodu this Friday at Lion Fight 10 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, but will now face Sean Kearney. It is not clear why Dawodu will not be able to face Malaipet on Friday, but it has been confirmed by Kearney’s camp that he has accepted to take the short notice fight.

The bout will be a re-match from this past March. Malaipet and Kearney fought at Push Kick Promotions “World Stand Off” in a bout that Malaipet won by unanimous decision. Kearney will be looking to avenge his loss to Malaipet. The first fight was closer than the judges decision indicated with a few people thinking Kearney did enough to pull out the decision. Since his loss to Malaipet, Kearney has won three consecutive fights all by stoppage in Thailand. It would be a huge win for Kearney to avenge his loss to Malaipet as well as great momentum leading up to his September 28 fight against Matt Embree.

Lion Fight 10 ‘s stacked card featuring some of the best North American fighters is only a few days away. This Friday’s event at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas will be headlined by Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Chike Lindsay for the Lion Fight world middleweight title. Leading up to the July 26th we have been breaking down some of the match ups which we are sure will entertain fans.

The final match up we break down is the main event, Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Chike Lindsay. Be sure to give your feedback on what you think about the fight.

Yodsanklai Fairtex (184-71-4) vs. Chike Lindsay (19-4)
Yodsanklai will be making his second appearance in the United States and this time around he will be looking to go back to Thailand with the Lion Fight world middleweight title. Chike Lindsay will try to make sure that the Lion Fight title doesn’t leave America, but that will be a tall task against a legend such as Yodsanklai.

Yodsanklai has looked great his last few fights after many thought he was done. Yodsanklai seemed unmotivated at times, but a little over a year ago Yodsanklai rededicated himself and has been unstoppable. He has won his last six fights which include wins over Kem Sitsongpeenong, Yohan Lidon, and Gregory Choplin. He seems to now be in the best shape of his life and that is a scary thing.

As far as a game plan goes it doesn’t seem like it needs to be too detailed for Yodsanklai. He needs to go in and just attack and punish Lindsay with his vicious kicks, occasionally mixing in some hard punches. Yodsanklai packs some serious power, and he doesn’t play the Thai game of feeling out his opponent. This could be bad news for Lindsay as Yodsanklai will likely come out looking to win with style. On paper it seems this fight will only last as long as Yodsanklai allows it to. Expect Yodsanklai to pick up the pace with each passing round, if there is anything that should be of concern to Yodsanklai it should be his conditioning. He has been known to gas near the end of his fights, but that will be all the more reason to see him try and end things early. Expect plenty of hard kicks to the body as Yodsanklai looks to press the action and end things early.

Lindsay is a good fighter, he is fast, accurate, and packs power. The only problem is that Yodsanklai is better in every aspect of the fight. If there is anything Lindsay might hold an edge on it could be speed and conditioning. Going toe to toe with Yodsanklai would not be the best plan of attack for Lindsay; he is going to need to weather the early storm against Yodsanklai. This doesn’t mean not to go on the attack, but instead attacking intelligently. He needs to make Yodsanklai work and try to tire him down so that he can look to open up his attack in the later rounds. Of course that is easier said than done against a guy like Yodsanklai. Another course of action that Lindsay could take is to stick and move, although it might not be the most fan friendly approach. Lindsay could rack up points on the judges score cards by looking to avoid any real exchanges with Yodsanklai and score points from the outside. Again easier said than done, but with his speed it is something that could be done.

It is hard to imagine Yodsanklai losing this bout, and most fans feel the same way. If Lindsay can pull it off it would be the biggest win any American has ever pulled off against a Thai fighter. For Yodsanklai it’s simply about doing something he is great at, causing damage. For Lindsay it’s a little bit more difficult he needs to avoid being hurt by Yodsanklai’s attack as well as being able to come up with an offensive attack of his own that won’t involve him taking damage to deliver damage.

Lion
Fight 10 ‘s stacked card featuring
some of the best North American fighters in action is a little over two weeks
away. The event will be headlined by Yodsanklai
vs. Chike Lindsay for the Lion Fight
world middleweight title. Leading up to the July 26th event we will be breaking
down some of the match ups which we are sure will entertain fans.

The third of the match-ups we are going to break down is Kevin Ross vs. Matt
Embree. Be sure to give your feedback on what you think about the fight.


Kevin Ross (19-8) vs. Matt Embree (23-4)
This fight is one of the most anticipated fights in North American Muay Thai
history. Ross and Embree will fight to end all speculation as to who is the
number one super lightweight in North America.

Ross
comes in having won his last two fights. Prior to his fight with Chris
Kwiatkowski in January Ross had not competed in over a year due to knee surgery.
In his last outing against Bernie Mendieta at Lion Fight 9, Ross took home a
controversial split decision. It was noted afterwards that Ross had been sick
leading up to the fight which most likely led to his performance in which he
looked fatigued after the first round.

Don’t
expect Ross to tire out early this time around. He is typically known for his
outstanding cardio and rapid pace in the ring. He constantly moves forward
pushing the pace from the opening bell until the closing bell. Ross has a well
rounded arsenal but what distinguishes him from most of his opponents is his
boxing. Ross has good boxing skills that he uses to land some nice combinations
in addition to mixing his attacks to the head and body. The key for Ross here
will be to use solid foot work to move in and out of Embree’s range and he
looks to work him with his boxing.

Embree
like Ross is coming into the fight having won his last two bouts. Fighting with
a more traditional Thai style, expect Embree to start a bit slower than Ross in
this fight.  This fight could resemble
Embree’s fight against Nils Widlund in early 2012 in which Widlund used nice
boxing combinations in the early rounds of their fight to get the better of
their exchanges before Embree was able to slow the pace down with is clinch
work in later rounds to take home a decision.

The
clinch will be the key for Embree. When Ross moves in on Embree and tries to
back him up, Embree needs to secure the clinch and immediately go to work with
elbows and knees. Ross is no slouch in the clinch, but you have to give the
edge to Embree. The longer Embree can keep Ross tied up with the clinch the
more the fight will sway in his favor. If Embree can’t keep Ross tied up in the
clinch then he has to fight at a faster pace than normal. Embree has some solid
boxing but it is not often showcased because he prefers to fight the
traditional Thai style. Fighting that way in this fight will hurt Embree in the
judges eyes, because Ross isn’t going to sit back and play that game with him and
as it has been the case many times before the more aggressive fighter takes a
decision on the judges score cards.

It
seems unlikely that this fight will end early unless it is stopped because of a
cut. This one will most likely go all five rounds and will be determined by the
type of pace the fight is fought at. A faster paced fight favors Ross and a
slower paced fight favors Embree.

Lion Fight 10 ‘s stacked card featuring some of the best North
American fighters in action is a little over two weeks away. The event will be
headlined by Yodsanklai vs. Chike Lindsay for the Lion Fight world middleweight
title. Leading up to the July 26th event we will be breaking down some of the
match ups which we are sure will entertain fans.


The second of the match-ups we are going to break down is Tiffany Van Soest
vs. Lucy Payne. Be sure to give your feedback on what you think about
the fight.



Tiffany Van Soest (6-0-1) vs. Lucy Payne (20-5)

This fight is interesting because in addition to having two top female fighters
competing against one another, there has been some trash talk amongst their
camps so expect each of these fighters to be looking to prove a point. Van
Soest is known for her explosiveness, while Payne is known for her tactical
style.

Van Soest is lighting quick
with her strikes and if you give her the opening she can make you pay dearly. Despite
a few slow starts in her career she tends to get stronger as the fight goes on.
Payne seems to fight a consistent pace through out and relies more on volume of
strikes.

Van Soest will be the
quicker of the two fighters and will likely have better movement through out
the ring. Van Soest should use her foot work and speed to get the upper hand in
exchanges, but should avoid clinching with Payne. In her fight against Alexis
Rufus she seemed to have trouble against Rufus in the clinch until she landed
the spectacular head kick that stunned Rufus before ending her night with
punches. If they do end up in the clinch Van Soest should either try to dump
Payne or try to land a significant strike as she breaks away. The longer she
fights in the clinch the more the fight will begin to sway in Payne’s favor.


Payne has a solid jab but needs to make sure she doesn’t get lazy with it. Van
Soest can explode on her opponents at any minute and make them pay. Payne is
strong in the clinch and should try to close the distance and try to grind Van
Soest in the clinch. Her reach should serve her well in trying to back Van
Soest up against the ropes before initiating the clinch. Getting Van Soest
against the ropes will be important because it minimizes the chances of her
creating space and landing something significant. Payne can’t waste anytime
trying to feel Van Soest out her best bet will be to immediately turn this into
a clinch war and try to take the early rounds as well as try and tire Van Soest
down so she can’t turn up the pace in the later rounds as she normally does.  


With that said neither of these women is scared to just let everything and
anything fly in their fights, so don’t be surprised if these two ladies simply
meet in the middle of the ring and put on one of the best fights in recent
memory as they both push forward looking to claim the Lion Fight women’s
featherweight world title.

Lion Fight 10 is a stacked card with some of the best North American fighters in action, not to mention Thailand’s Yodsanklai Fairtex will headline the event. Leading up to the July 26th event we will be breaking down some of the match ups which we are sure to entertain fans.

The first of the match-ups we are going to break down is Ognjen Topic vs. Coke Chunhawat. Be sure to give your feedback on what you think about the fight.

Ognjen Topic (7-3) vs. Coke Chunhawat (147-26-1)

Topic is one of North America’s rising stars. Coming off his knockout over Thai champion Paowarit Sasiprapa has boosted his stock immensely. Technically he is one of the best North American fighters in his weight class and has shown his finishing ability in his last two fights having stopped Rami Ibrahim and most recently Paowarit. Topic could be 10-0 as a pro right now, but all three of his losses have come by controversial or razor thin decisions which puts his record at 7-3.

Coke is a seasoned veteran who is always highly regarded by everyone. He is tough as nails, technically strong, and with over 150 fights to his name he never lacks an edge on experience. He has alternated between losses and wins in his last fight five outings and is 2-3 in that span. Paul Karpowicz most recently defeated him at Muay Thai in America: In Honor of the King this past December. Karpowicz continually pressured Coke not allowing him to dictate the pace of the bout.

This fight is going to come down to two things, how well Topic uses his height/reach advantage and who dictates the pace. Topic should be looking to use his height/reach advantage to make Coke pay whenever he tries to close the distance, which in return should allow him to use his boxing to set up kicks much like he did against Paowarit. If they do engage in the clinch it should be a pretty even battle. Coke fights a traditional Thai style and he should try to force Topic into this type of fight as it gives him the best chance of winning. Landing a few sweeps form the clinch or catching a few Topic kicks and dumping him on the ground could force this to happen, however, if he can’t make that happen Topic will be all over him if he starts landing clean strikes on Coke. Experience won’t play a role in this fight as Topic showed against Paowarit who also had well over 100 fights. A faster pace favors Topic, while a slower pace favors Coke.

On July 26th in Las Vegas, Matt Embree and Kevin Ross will meet in one of the biggest fights between two North American fighters ever. Embree and Ross are regarded by many as the top two 140lb fighters in North America and this bout should set a clear number one for the fans. The fight will air live on AXS TV.

Embree trains out of the highly touted Siam No. 1 gym in Toronto, Canada under Ajahn Suchart. The man they call “Matics” plans on coming into the fight and walking away the new Lion Fight super lightweight world champion. Embree was kind enough to answer a few questions for Muay Thai Authority about his upcoming fight with Ross.

MTA: Big fight coming up in July against Kevin Ross. How has training been going?

Matt: Trainings been going great. I’m going hard!

MTA: You and Kevin are considered to be the top two North American fighters, is there any pressure coming into this fight?

Matt: Yea but not in a bad way. I think it’s bringing the best out of me in training, and I think he’s going to be training like a mad man too so it will be good.

MTA: Looking at Kevin’s fighting style, what do you think is his biggest strength?

Matt: I think it’s the pressure he puts on people. He keeps a high pace and breaks alot of people down with it.

MTA: When you fight in Vegas the fans are normally on your side, you have gained a lot of respect with your performances. Now you are fighting Ross who used to live in Vegas and was a hometown favorite. The fans probably wont be on your side. As a fighter does that affect you at all or do you learn to block it all out?

Matt: Not really. I’m pretty good at blocking all the outside noise out and just focusing on my opponent.

MTA: This will only be your second fight of 2013, do you wish you already had a few more fights this year or is this a pace you like?

Matt: Ideally I’d like to fight more. That way I can get more experience but I dont really take care of that part. Whenever a promoter calls us up we’re ready tho.

MTA: This fight will be on AXS TV so it’s going to be seen by more people than your previous fights. Do you feel any extra pressure to perform for the TV audience?

Matt: No I think it will make me preform better.

MTA: What would you consider to be the biggest X factor in this fight, whether it gives you and advantage or Kevin and advantage?

Matt: I think it’s all going to boil down to the training and who preforms the best on fight night.

MTA: Any prediction for the fight?

Matt: I’m going to get my hand raised in the end.

MTA: Any words for your supporters?

Matt: Thanks to everyone. I fight for my love of it, but every one that supports makes it possible and for that I’m always grateful.